Hands and knees see success with Thick-knees

Bit of hands and knees work got me seeing eye to eye with Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius) at Lucinda today.

And sprawl in the sand drew attention of resident Beach Thick-knee (Esacus magnirostris), with sugar jetty as background.

Also at home on the sandspit today, but pictured a while back, leucistic Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), with more typical brown bird of species.

Another sandspit specialist also previously photographed and singing cheerily as always today, Varied Honeyeater (Lichenostomus versicolor).

Not so commonly found amid the arc of low mangroves 200 metres from  the shoreline, Helmeted Friarbird (Philemon buceroides), one of several today in the honeyeaters' domain. Flight picture minor consolation making up for odd lack of usual resident Collared Kingfishers, unsighted in three recent sandspit walks.

Face to face with the fibber

Face to face with the fibber from Tyto carpark garden: Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius) featured in blog last month faces up to the truth ...

... one of two juniors in evidence these days. 

And following up on tame Cattle Egret (Ardea ibis), another frog and another closeup at Orient Station. But bird seems now to have moved on.

Bush Thick-knee sits on the truth

Eggs? What eggs? No eggs here! Can't a bird just sit in some sunshine after yesterday's rain ... but Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius) might be a big fibber.

Bush Thick-knee catches the eye

Not much stirring near the beaches after a week of floods but this Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius) caught the eye on the Lucinda foreshore yesterday.  

All gone as Drongo diddles katydid catcher

Lots of Birdlifers up from Townsville today all hoping - and mostly getting - a look at an Australian Little Bittern. Also on show, about 70 other species, not all easily found. Above, White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) up and about before most of the birders.

Most got a good look at this Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus). Image is same bird,  same place yesterday. Seems to be only BC left in Tyto. Today it had one Little Bronze Cuckoo - also in short supply lately - for brief company.

No longer greeting visitors at the entry (as above), but today standing around under the carpark bottlebrushes, Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius). It's rather vain so picture does not show scarred left eye. Perils of running around screaming during the night!

Everywhere, as always, though not always accorded as much camera time as they probably deserve, Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys). Another image from yesterday of action often seen today.

And after most had long gone this Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) pirated a katydid from a White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike. Nothing dumb about Drongos.
Click pix to enlarge